Vision

The University of Notre Dame is committed to leadership across all operational, educational, and research practices that:

Respects and upholds the dignity of life at all stages in order to broaden and deepen the pro-life culture in and among various constituencies in order to strengthen the Notre Dame community's witness to Catholic teaching on life.

Integrates and contributes to academic scholarship, education, and research relevant to promoting and enhancing the dignity of life

Directly supports the University’s culture of continuous improvement and enhances the University’s overall Catholic character

Goals

The Office assists in determining ways in which the University can increase and manifest its own commitment to a culture of life across campus and in partnership with other constituencies in the Notre Dame family, focusing on issues that extend from conception to natural death. The Office will:

Work on the implementation of recommendations developed by the Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life and approved by the President of the University;

Assist the University in adopting strategies to make its current supportive policies toward pregnant students better known to the student body, the faculty and other members of the Notre Dame community.

Facilitate and promote research opportunities to be made available through “witness to life research opportunities” (or a similar idea), with topics in theology, law, philosophy, sociology, biology and other disciplines across the spectrum of life issues.

Work with the University to encourage alumni in pro-life witness; and work with the Alumni Association and other units on initiatives relevant to life issues;

Serve as a liaison between campus departments and groups to facilitate collaborative functioning related to life issues, including the identification and nurturing of known and new partners with interest in supporting the sanctity of life and the fostering of awareness about life-related issues across campus.

Seek to create and support educative efforts on campus – such as conferences, consultations and courses – intended to inform the campus community on issues pertaining to life, and to form an academic culture of witness to life as appropriate to any given academic venue.